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For the longest time now, the British government has banned TV shows from advertising products within the programme itself. In an interesting turn of events, the government is now lifting the ban. The move will allow commercial broadcasters to place products in various TV shows, thereby advertising them.
The decision has not been announced officially but the speculation is that it will be made early this week. For sure, this announcement will be a controversial one, albeit much welcomed by TV producers. However, the ban will still remain for other broadcasters such as BBC as well as all children’s programmes, regardless of network.
So why has the government changed its stance? The Telegraph says:
The main factor behind the rethink by ministers has been the financial strictures faced by ITV and other commercial broadcasters during the recession, which have seen their advertising revenues badly hit.
Government sources also cite a European parliament directive which came into force almost two years ago permitting product placement in sport and light entertainment programmes – if national governments allowed it.
More than this, Britain is actually a little lagging in this respect. Other European Union members have already started allowing TV programmes to place products.
It will be very interesting to see how quickly the British networks are going to pounce on this opportunity. For sure, the primetime shows will have a wide array of choices as to which products to use. Bottom line, more cash will be flowing into the coffers because of this change.
Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
One of the hottest issues Britons face today is assisted suicide, or euthanasia. I am sure that you have heard of the couple who went to Switzerland to die together. After a rich and long life, they decided that it was time to end the suffering that they had been going through for the last few years of their lives. Their family supported it, and that clinic in Switzerland offered that option.
It is not the same in the UK, though. Technically, assisted suicide is illegal in the country. Indeed, doctors often freeze up at the very mention of the term. With these deaths becoming highly publicised, however, talk has been going on. Should we support or condemn assisted suicide?
From the perspective of the family of those who are suffering, assisted suicide should be an option. Indeed, for them, it is a much better option than living out one’s days in pain and inconvenience. Then we have those who believe that we should never take the lives of other people; that this is something that no human being should be made to do.
According to a story ran by the Daily Mail, there are about 800 Britons who are supposedly making plans for assisted suicide. But since this is not legal in the country, only people who are able to travel and who have the money to do so have the option. For now, the option is only available outside of the country. But it may not be far in the future that it could be legalised at home as well.
How do you feel about this?
In this day when everyone is having all sorts of problems with money, more and more people are looking for ways to save. The United Kingdom may not have experienced the worst like the United States, but there is no saying as to what might happen. That is why saving money is an important thing in everyone’s eyes these days.
One of the best people to take tips from is Richard Thompson, a retired project manager. He is no ordinary retiree. As a matter of fact, Thompson has been named as Britain’s best money saver by Money Supermarket. So what does Thompson know that we don’t already? The Times Online recently featured him and had this to say:
So, how exactly does he do it? He investigates everything from home insurance to savings accounts to make sure he is always getting the best possible deal. Thompson, 60, then plays market-leading deals to their full advantage by, for example, borrowing money at 0% and paying it into high-interest savings accounts so that it is earning money for him, not the banks.
And if you think that credit cards are a no no, think again. You can follow Thompson’s example:
Thompson has three credit cards — from Virgin, Halifax and Alliance & Leicester — all with interest-free balance-transfer deals. With no credit-card debt to pay off, he transferred the cash into a current account, then moved £18,000 into a Tesco Internet Saver account paying 2.75%.
Thompson said: “Not many people realise that card firms will transfer a balance into your account, rather than paying off a rival card.” He transfers the required amounts back to the card providers in time for the end of the 0% introductory deals, thereby avoiding paying any interest. Over 12 months he stands to earn up to £495.
Interested in making considerable savings? Follow this Brit’s example.
The Prince is following in his mother’s footsteps – at least that’s what everybody is saying. He is currently on a visit in New York, and everybody there seems to be loving him. One of the things that people are raving about is the fact that he is continuing too champion the causes that the late Princess Di upheld.
While it is true that the Prince has had several mischievous incidents in the past, it seems that he is finally getting on the right track. He is young, after all, and young people should be allowed their moments of mischief, right?
Here are the thoughts of some people on Prince Harry:
Accountant Susan Docks, 58, applauded the visiting 24-year-old British royal for honoring the charitable efforts of his mother, the late Princess Diana.
“I respect how he’s following in his mother’s footsteps campaigning for issues like AIDS and poverty in Africa,” Docks said. “He may have made some foolish choices in the past, but blame it on his youth.”
Meanwhile, Capt. Ryan Miller, a 26-year-old soldier injured while serving in Iraq, praised Prince Harry for serving in Afghanistan as part of the British army despite his royal position.
“It was great to speak with someone who knows exactly what it’s like,” Miller told the Daily News. “Royal or not, he is one of us.”
It looks to me that the Prince has a bright future ahead of him. Here is to hoping that he will not be waylaid by other distractions that may change his current course. His mum is surely beaming with pride.
God forbid! While we all know that what we know as America today originated from the Britain of old, the idea of the “colony” influencing the traditions of the “mainland” is something that is just unthinkable! However, if the analyses of various people are to be believed, it might just be that the American culture is fast creeping up on the British culture.
Take for example what is going to happen to the Antiquarius Center on King’s Road. This place is where you can find all sorts of antique things – from cuff links to photos. In the very near future, however, the Center will be demolished to make way for Anthropologie, and American chain, which will feature a fashion emporium. How one can even think about exchanging something as culturally and artistically rich as the Center for a “personality-less chain,” I don’t know!
There are other things that point to our society being influenced by American culture. The stereotypical Englishman wearing a suit and a hat has been replaced by sneakers and blue jeans. The stereotype of bad English teeth is vanishing due to dental procedures that make them straight and pearly white. (Now this one, I really don’t mind.) Psychologists and psychiatrists are fast turning to medication for their patients. Fast food like KFC is becoming more and more popular. American urban music is finding its way into the hearts of the youth. The list goes on and on and on…
But does this really mean that Britain is being Americanised? And if so, is it necessarily all a bad thing?
Photo courtesy of http://www.darvillsrareprints.com/
There are only two things that are certain in life – death and taxes. And it seems that a Lanarkshire GP thinks that everything pleasurable in life should be taxed, including chocolate! I don’t know about you, but I see chocolate as being one of the little pleasures in my life. While there are some expensive chocolate brands, I can rest assured that I will always find an affordable bar of chocolate in a nearby shop. And I know that it will always make me feel better.
And now, this GP says that we should tax chocolate?! Even worse, a group of family doctors, who are of more than average intelligence, I would like to assume, have spent considerable time debating on whether or not to approve the proposal. Now how depressing is that?
The Times Online published a report on this issue recently. Dr. David Walker was quoted as saying:
“I believe that chocolate is a major player in obesity and obesity-related condition. What I’m trying to get across is that chocolate is sneaking under the radar of unhealthy foods. I would say the government taxing chocolate would not solve the obesity crisis, but it might slow the rate of increase of the obesity graph.”
Baloney! I know that a 5p increase in the price of a chocolate bar will not really deter me from buying one. But the fact that they actually considered adding the tax just makes me fume. Don’t these people have anything better to do than meddle with chocolate prices?
Today I read a feature article about the young black British men who have risen above their circumstances to reach where they are today. I suppose the issue of color has always been around but it has never been at the forefront as much as it is now. This is probably due to many factors, one of the most influential being Barack Obama’s historical win in the United States presidential race. However, we cannot ignore the countless other people who are carving their places in this world such as Lewis Hamilton.
Despite the fact that a large number of people in the world want to say that racism is an issue of the past, we have to admit that there are still stereotypes that exist and a lot of people are still hanging on to those perceptions. The article I read over at The Independent states:
Chris Wilson, 45, an educationalist who has had stunning success getting young black children into top academic institutions, feels their pain. “It is very demoralising,” he says, “because there is an exaggeration of negative stereotypes, an over-dramatisation.”
This kind of thinking, as much as many would like to deny it, exists all over the world today. That is why I found the article quite moving. It highlighted the work of people in Britain – people who are not afraid to stick to their principles and continue to help those who are in need of their help, in the hopes that one day, these young black British people will make a difference in their lives and in the rest of the world.
People in the UK – and Europe in general – are lucky to have a very good public transportation system. The railway system in particular is very extensive and a lot of British people make use of it on a regular basis. Truth be told, this system may be taken for granted by some, especially if they have not traveled to less developed parts of the world.
I am thinking that more Britons will realise just how lucky they are once the New Year starts because of the expected increase in train fares. According to the BBC, the expected increase can be anywhere from 6 per cent to 7 per cent! The news report continues:
Train companies said the revenue would be reinvested, but watchdog Passenger Focus said some rises were unjustified.
Gordon Brown believed it was important customers got “good value for their money”, said his spokesman.
Regulated fares – including season tickets – are generally based on a set formula which limits increases to 1% above retail price index (RPI) inflation, although there are some exceptions.
The government’s policy is to increase fares above inflation and reduce the contribution from the taxpayer.
Naturally, commuters are not happy with the news. In fact, a lot of noise is currently being heard from this sector. What will happen is yet unclear but it seems that the increase is going to happen. In the meantime, British commuters have to get ready for this and hope that the government will be able to do something about it.
Recognise these words? If you like Disney films, then I am sure you would. It still evokes images of the cute baby Simba prancing around the wild, singing to his heart’s content. This time, though, it is not a cute little lion that I am thinking of. Instead, the image of an austere Prince Charles is what is in my head.
The Prince turned 60 on Friday and this event highlighted the fact that he is still waiting to take the reins of monarchy from the present Queen. For Prince Charles, the wait started in 1952. It has been a long 56-year wait and the end does not seem to be in sight. I feel for Prince Charles, I really do, especially when you read write ups such as the one I just read in The New York Times, where he was described as:
In the meantime, he’s relevant — kind of — in a low-key way. He christens ships and travels to funerals. He speaks out on architecture and global warming and organic farming. He paints, he drives an Aston Martin that uses biofuels. He presides over meetings and charities.
But mostly, he waits for his mother, Elizabeth II, the Queen, to give up the throne in life or death. (And you thought your mother was a royal pain. Did she ever deny you the throne?) Unfortunately, she seems to be enjoying herself too much to quit. She still gallops horses and got the satisfaction of being played by Helen Mirren. Besides, she’s only 82 and her mother lived to 101. Time’s on her side.
Then again, he has those longevity genes as well, doesn’t he? So maybe, in 20 years time, he will finally ascend to the throne.
These past weeks have been a bit crazy because of what has happened – and what is happening on Wall Street. Although they are across the ocean, it does not mean that people in the UK are totally impervious to the goings on over there. The economic crisis certainly has affected people in this country as well.
This means a lot of things. In terms of lifestyle, there are a lot of things that are being cut off from the budget of the average person. Think about your home – though it may look shabby and in need of a little sprucing up, you may be putting off makeover activities due to monetary constraints. Yet what if I were to tell you that there is a way brighten up your home with the help of some great deals in various British stores?
The Telegraph recently had a feature article on furnishing homes without dipping too much into your finances. The main recommendation? Veer away from the expensive and exclusive stores and go visit your supermarkets’ home ranges! Though this may not have been your first choice many years ago, it is actually a good idea.
Sainsbury’s has very stylish collections for affordable prices:
Sainsbury’s style-conscious designs include velvet cushions, in warm berry colours, at £5.99 each; chenille throws at £14.99; shaggy chenille cushions, £8.99; metal table lamps with red or black shades, £14.99; and tall metallic vases for £4.99. Black candle-holders with matching candles are just £3.99. An eye-catching mango wood sculpture costs £9.99 – the same price as a four-pack of champagne flutes.
Tesco is not going to be left behind:
Tesco has drawn inspiration from the fashion catwalks this autumn with dramatic purple vases, £4 to £10 each; tall glass vases in green, brown or amethyst, £8 each; and ceramic vases and bowls with a retro-looking orange/green glaze (above right) for £6 to £8. Its sophisticated lighting range includes an all-white table lamp for £45 and a table lamp with a circular smoky-glass base, £50.
With these items – and more – you can revamp your home’s interiors for low prices. Shop around and see what you can find!
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Posted on Sep 13, 2009 by